Signal.



A No. 853,737.

PATENTED MATH, 1907. Gi P, RUGGLBS.

SIGNAL. -APPLIGATION FILED Nov. ze. 190e.

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CLIFTON P.. RUGGLES, OF OSAWATOMIE, KANSAS.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 190'7.

Application filed November 28, 1906- Serial No. 345,441.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFTON P. RUGGLES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Osawatomie, inthe county of Miami and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Signal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to signals, and especially to signal flags.

The invention constitutes an improvement of the invention described in an application for signal which was allowed to me June 7 1906, Serial No. 286,004.

The object of the inventionfis to produce a signal carrying several flags, any of which may be quickly brought into view when desired a further object being to construct the parts so as to enable the signal flags tobe readily removed when it is desired to use the same as an ordinary signal.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signal constructed according to my invention, a portion of the body thereof being represented as broken away; the lower portion of the device is also broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device, a

- portion thereof being broken away, as in Fig.

1.; Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, certain parts being represented broken away, Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the inner case of the device, which consists of a tubular sheath the loweriextremity whereof receives a head 2, the upper portion of said head being formed into a cup 3 which is received in the interior of the case as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. Upon the upper portion of the inner case l, there is received an outer case `4,'which telescopes over the same as indicated very clearly in Fig. 2. The u per portion of this outer case 4 is forme into a cap or hood 5 so that the interior of lthe case 1s protected above. At one side, the inner case 1 is provided with an elongated rectangular opening 6, for a pur- 1 pose which will appear more fully hereinafter. l

A similar opening 7 is provided in the outer case, and these openings are adapted to be brought into alinement by rotating the outer case so as to enable the iiags within the case to be brought into view.

l provide means for locking the outer case upon the inner case in several positions, for which purpose the outer case is provided with an inward offset or button 8 which is formed by pressing the material inwardly as indicated in Fig. 4, and this button is adapted to en dage with any one of three openings 9, 10 an 11. When in engagement with the opening 9, as shown in Fig. 4, the openings 6 and 7 are not in alinement, from which ar- 'rangement the interior of the case is completely inclosed. When the button 8 is in engagement with the opening 1 1, the opening 7 will be in alinement with the opening 6, so as to permit any of the flags to be exposed, and when the button engages the opening 10, the edges of the openings l6 and 7 are adapted to overlap slightly so as to catch a flag which may be extended therethrough in such a way as to hold the same against being returned. The purpose of this arrangement will be described more fully hereinafter.

It will be understood that the inner and outer cases are formed of'sheet metal 4which has a certain amount of resiliency, permitting the button 8 to be readily disengaged from any of the openings 9, 10 and 11 with which it may become alined.

In the upper portion of the inner case, a disk or plug 12 is received, and at the center of this plug there is attached a spindle 13 which is connected with the same by means of screw threads, as shown the lower extremity of the said spindle being seated in a socket or bore 14 in the upper side of the head 2 as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2. The extremity of the spindle .13 projects above the plug 12 and receives a nut 15. This nut screws down upon and retains in position a rotatable collar 16, which is pressed up against the face of the nut by a small helical spring 17, as indicated in Fig. 2, the said spring being seated upon the upper face of the plug. This collar 16 is of substantially circular form, but is formed with an arcuate elongated notch or recess 18 at one edge thereof, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. f

The disk or plug 12 is provided with three openings 19al with radially extending slots 19 IIO At'lags thereto.

which open upon the edge of the plug as shown. In the interior oi' the' inner case three `[lag staffs 20 are provided, and these staii's have elongated wooden bodies 21 provided with longitudinally extending wire cleats 22 which facilitate the attachment oi- The ends of the sticks receive loose caps 24 having reduced necks 23 which are dropped into the openings 19L to retain the upper ends oi the sticks, as in Fig. 3. The caps are formed with collars 24u, the lower faces of the said collars resting upon the upper i'ace of the plug.

The lower extremities of the sticks 21 are provided with sockets 25, and from the lower portion of these sockets 25 stems 26 extend downwardly. The lower extremities of these stems 26 are received in sockets 27 formed in the upper face of the head 2 as shown, and adjacent to these sockets the stems are provided with ratchet wheels 28, the teeth of which project in an inclined direction, as indicated in Fig. 5. Loosely mounted on the stems 26, near the ratchet wheels, l provide shoes 29, the form of 'which is very clearly shown in Fig. 4 they present circumferentially disposed outer edges which are adapted to lie against the inner face oi the case, and have' substantially straight inner edges as shown. To these shoes 29 helical springs 30 are attached, the said springs heing arranged around the stems 26 as shown. The upper extremities of the springs are l'ixed to the sockets 25.

Around the lower portion of the head 2, outwardly projecting brackets 31 are provided, and these brackets are disposed in radial alinement with the stems 26. The outer extremities of the brackets operate as guides for plungers 32 which extend inwardly through the wall of the cup 3, so that the inner ends of the plungers engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 2S. Against the outer portions of the brackets 3l, helical springs 33 thrust, and the inner 'extremities of these springs thrust against pins 34 mounted transversely in the plungers. From this arrangement it will he understood that the springs 33 tend to hold the plungers in engagement with the ratchet wheels, hut by pulling` outwardly upon the head 35 of any one ot the plungers, the corresponding ratchet wheel may he disengaged therefrom. The i'lags, such as the flag illustrated at 36 in Fig. 4, are normally held wrapped upon the sticks. The Aliags will he of diiierent colors or have di'tl'erent significance 'when exposed. lt should he understood that when thel openings 6 and 7 are in alinement, any Hag may he drawn outwardly so as to expose its body at the side oli the outer case. When it is drawn out in this manner, it will he understood that the stem 26 Vwhich corresponds to this iiag will rotate the corresponding ratchet wheel, so that the spring about the stem will become 'wound up.

The spring will he evidently held against unwinding by the corresponding plunger, hut upon pulling the plunger outwtu'dly, the spring will operate to wind the l lag again upon its stick. ln case the plungers or ratchet wheels should get out of order, any one o|l the llags may he locked in its exposed position hy pinching the same hetween the edges ol` the openings 6 and 7. ln order to do this, it is only necessary to rotate the outer ease until the hutton 8 engages ith the opening 1t), in the manner suggested alzove.

The head 2 is provided at one side with a lug 37, which projects outwardly as indicated, and this lug is provided with a longitudinal hore receiving a shank 3S tormed on a latch 39 of wire or similar material. lhe hody olE this latch extends upwardly in an inclined position, and is formed with an inwardly projecting tinger 40; this iinger normally projects through any one oll three openings 4l which are formed in the outer ease near the lower portion thereol', the inner extremity of the linger heing received in a recess 42 which is formed in the outer wall oll the cup. These openings 4] are so arranged that when a certain opening is opposite the recess, a certain flag will he in position to he extended from the fase. ln practice, the outer side of the case will he marked at the proper point so as to indicate whether the tlag to he drawn out will he, red or green, ete.

lt should he understood that the latch 39 is of resilient material so that it may he readily pulled outwardly so as to disengage the iinger 4() from the recess and the opening so as to enable the inner ease to he rotated. Normally, ol course, the latch locks the inner case to the head and prevents the rotation or removal ol the inner ease trom the head. then the collar 16 has the position shown in Fig. 3, its outer edge overlaps the edges of all the heads 24, so that it locks the iiag stails in position. Then it is desired to remove one olE the `llag statl's lor hand signaling, it is only necessary to remove the outer and inner casing, whereupon the caps 24 may he raised and the stalls disengaged from the slots, the stems 26 heing, at the same time, pulled out ol the sockets 27 in which they seat. The `llag may then he used as an ordinary signal. v

The lower side ot the head 2 is tormed with an downwardly projecting pintle 43 which is adapted to he received in a socket to hold the signal in an erect position. ln order to l'a cilitate the attachment olt the llags to the sticks, at suitable points the sticks are provided with recesses or notches 44 under the I cleats and through which a portion ot' the ilag may he drawn.

lhile the signal is intended to he used especially by railroads, it will he also very useful in other situations where a plurality olI different signals must he shown l'rom time to lOO ISO

time; thus, it could be used verfy advantageously by the Weather Bureau or indicating the prophesied changes in the weather.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a signal, in combination, a tubular case, a removable head received in the lower end thereof, a spindle attached in said head and extending lupwardly in the interior of said case, a plug carried by the upper end of said spindle and flag staffs removably mounted in said head and said plug, said case having an opening through which flags rolled on said staffs may be extended.

2. In a signal, in combination, a tubular inner case, ahead removably mounted in the lower end thereof, a spindle. attached in said head, a plug carried by said spindle and held in the upper portion of said oase, flag staffs removably attached in said plug and said head, a tubular outer case covering said inner case and protecting the upper end thereof, said cases having openings adapted to aline to enable flags on said staffs to be extended therethrough.

3. In a signal, in combination, a tubular inner case, a head removably mounted in the lower end thereof, a spindle attached in said head, a plug carried by said spindle and held in the upper portion of said case, flag stas removably attached in said plug and said head, a tubular outer case covering said inner case and protecting the upper end thereof, said cases having openings adapted to aline to enable flags on said staffs to be extended l therethrough, said outer case having means for locking the same with the opening of said outer case in different positions.

4. In a signal, in combination, an inner case, a head removably mounted in the lower end thereof, a spindle attached in said head and extending upwardly in said inner case, a plug attached to said spindle and having openings formed with slots extending to the edge of said plug, flag staffs having their lower ends mounted in said head, heads slidably received on the upper ends of said staffs and adapted to drop into said openings to hold said staffs in said plug.

5. In a signal, in combination, an inner case, a head removably mounted in the lower end thereof, a spindle attached in said head and extending upwardly in said inner case, a

plug attached to said spindle and having openings formed with slots extending to the edge of said plug, flag staffs having their lower ends mounted in said head, heads slidably received on the upper ends of said staffs and* adapted to drop into said openings to hold said stads in said plug, said spindle proj ecting above said plug, anda collar carried by said spindle above said plug and adapted to lock said collars against rising from said openings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l CLIFTON P. RUGGLES. Witnesses:

W. H. EMERICK, WM. M. JOHNS. 

